


Flowers for you

by Perlmutt



Series: Moments of life, love and laughter  -  Stony Oneshots [6]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arc Reactor, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Dancing, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Oblivious Steve Rogers, Pining, Romance, Schmoop, Sickfic, Tony Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony teaches Steve how to dance, hanahaki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-01-16 15:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21273545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Perlmutt/pseuds/Perlmutt
Summary: Do you know that warm and fuzzy feeling when you're in love with someone? Tony surely does. But he also knows how it feels when that warmth becomes burning heat and throbbing pain in his throat.Will Steve ever return his feeling? Can Tony risk their friendship for his romantic feelings? Is it worth it?What will he do when a single bloody rose petal lands in the palm of his hand? So small and yet so heavy. Tony, what will you do?





	Flowers for you

**Author's Note:**

> my first Hanahaki story! srsly there are not enough of those. i hope i did everything right. also, only one month left and then it's Christmas! omggg merry christmas, fellow weirdos! enjoy your holidays and spread some (stony) love. (just FYI: i did not plan that there would be christmas in this fanfiction. it just kind of happened. oops.)
> 
> as always: unbeta'ed, english is not my mother language so pls excuse errors

Tony pressed a grease stained hand to his mouth. This coughing fit didn't last as long as the one before, but it still hurt like a bitch. The pain slowly spread from his throat to his lungs and every short breath he tried to take intensified the disgusting feeling of swallowing needles. With his free hand he clutched at the front of his worn band tee in a futile attempt to sooth the pain. JARVIS automatically turned the volume of the blasting rock music down and Dum-E rolled over with a glass of water balanced on a wobbly tray, together with Tony's medications, colorful pills and a bunch of small bottles with weird names. The inventor was still wheezing when the robot carefully put his delivery on top of the work table next to a few blueprints and screwdrivers. Tony removed his hand and his gaze fell upon drops of blood in his palm. Looking at the shiny surface of the raw armor part he had been working on, he noticed the blood stains on his lips. Frowning he turned away from the unpleasant view, thanked the bot and patted his claw with his clean hand. His throat was still too sore for him to form proper words. Dum-E beeped happily and rolled over to U and Butterfingers who were currently trying to organize Tony's chaotic wire box. The man shot them a quick glance before he dry swallowed the first three pills. He would have to sort through that box by himself again. U had the habit of hiding teaspoons in there, no one knew why. Tony took the rest of his meds and emptied the water that stood in front of him. He shuddered and slumped back in his chair, concentrating on his breathing, slow and even, in and out. The blood in his palm felt sticky. His head heavy on his shoulders from exhaustion and lack of oxygen, he let his eyes drift shut and his mind wander.

His coughing had started a few weeks ago. He unfortunately hadn't been able to hide this from Pepper for long and soon the team knew about it as well. His scary ex-girlfriend had dragged his sorry ass to his private doctor, since Bruce hadn't been around. (Even though the scientist declared time after time that he wasn't that kind of doctor, he still was kind of that doctor for the team.) That had been six weeks ago. The inventor reluctantly took all of his prescribed medications after a very worried looking Steve had stared him down mercilessly. And as the weak man that Tony was when it came to the Captain, he had obeyed. And still, it was no use, it was gradually worsening. After taking the meds, drinking the disgusting tea that Bruce had once brought from India, eating Natasha's secret Russian family recipe soup and trying to maintain a somewhat healthy eating and sleeping routine he still felt like shit. He hid in the workshop most of the time nowadays to prevent infecting the other with whatever illness he had caught. He was no stranger to being alone and sometimes he felt like breathing did become a bit easier when he was on his own, not thinking about anything else than the piece of tech he was working on in those moments. On the other hand did his self-imposed exile mean that he didn't get to see Steve on a daily basis, which was a big fat minus point referring to the feelings he was having for his teammate.

At first he hadn't thought much of it, labeling it a stupid crush on a childhood hero. But as time passed and Steve and him more and more time together spent, it became obvious to Tony that it was way more than a high school girly thing. He was in deep shit, in for the long run, a goner, call it whatever name one wanted, the result was always the same. Tony had done the math. And he never miscalculated. Tony was head over heels in love with Steve, one of his rare and best friends. And that was the problem. The friend part. Tony didn't have a lot of friends, he was man enough to admit that to himself. Rhodey, Pepper, Happy and the team, altogether that made eight people. Losing one of them because he couldn't shut down those egoistical feelings of his was just not an option. Tony enjoyed every minute he got to spend with them, especially with Steve. He'd gone out of his way for Steve. He'd gone with him to the MOMA even though Tony absolutely despised museums, they'd been to the park eating hot dogs like teenagers in love, late nights in front of the TV watching awful 80's movies, making breakfast for the team in the crack of dawn. Hell, Tony had even accompanied Steve to those awful 5 am jogs the guy loved so much. (He collapsed after half an hour trying to keep up with Steve's pace. But Steve looking down at him with his shining blue eyes and magical smile was worth the humiliation of laying panting on the pavement.) He'd done everything he could think of. And he was grateful for every moment they had. Even if he was just his friend. He could live with that, because he had to and because it was worth everything.

.oOo.

He could so not live with that, even though he had to, even though he thought it was worth everything.

.oOo.

Four days before Christmas, the Avengers were invited to the annual Christmas gala, launched by SHIELD. Every agent, office employee, doctor, investor and even some politicians were invited. So of course the team of local heroes was the main attraction. Clint and Natasha were a sight to behold. The archer had chosen his best tuxedo and had luckily refrained from wearing his horrible purple tie. Natasha's dark gown brought her bright red hair out and her eyes were sparkling in the light. The assassins were on the dance floor as graceful and deadly as in combat. Thor was wearing his light armor for special occasions, his bright red cape was a perfect match to the Christmas decorations. He'd brought a full bottle of mead from his last trip to Asgard and told stories about the great festivities at home. Even Bruce looked like he had fun. He stood near the buffet with some SHIELD scientist he knew from some big presentation in Germany. He had reluctantly allowed Tony to get him a new suit for the gala, and Tony had to thank his tailor, dark green really looked good on his science bro. Everywhere were people in stunning dresses and custom-made suits, renowned scientists and influential politicians, the room was full with Christmas trees, tinsel, sparkling baubles, exotic food and even some mistletoes but the only thing Tony had eyes for was Steve in the dark blue suit that made Tony's knees go weak. The smooth fabric accentuated his fair skin, his blonde hair shone almost golden in the light of the fairy lights and his blue eyes were like gemstones. The suit hugged his body in all the right places, what would he give for a chance to slide the silk tie off his neck and have those deep blue eyes on him. But his object of desire was currently talking to Agent Coulson, and Fury's right hand was more than obviously happy to have the attention of their Captain. His throat closed up painfully when Steve's gaze suddenly fell onto him. He averted his eyes and took another sip of his scotch, hoping to numb the burning pain with the alcohol. Trying his best to look casual he ignored the need to cough at the prickling and retreated to the far wall next to the biggest Christmas tree in the room. He pressed his breast pocket handkerchief to his mouth and couldn't suppress the coughing fit any longer. A few heads turned around to look at him, but Tony ignored them. Inhaling a lungful of air sent another wave of pain down his spine. Traitorous red stained the once white cloth. Tony swallowed heavily, downed the remaining scotch in one go and folded his handkerchief again to hide the blood. His empty glass found its way back to the bar and after a few more minutes breathing became easier, the feeling of choking on his own blood dissipated slowly. Tony felt like he ran a marathon. Every breath was still filled with faint pricking and he breathed through his nose to calm his heartbeat.

“Tony?” Oh no… “Tony, are you okay?”

A gentle hand on his shoulder urged him to turn around. Steve was standing in front of him, when he gave in to the touch. Worry laid like a shadow over his stunning blue eyes and a small frown was directed at him. Tony mentally kicked himself when it took him a few seconds too long to respond.

“Oh, hey, Steve.” Tony swallowed the next cough and cleared his throat. “I'm fine, totally fine, more than fine actually. I was just a bit greedy, scotch burns like a bitch.” He forced a smile. “You having fun? Did you try the carpaccio, it's delicious. I recommend you eat it with a drop of lemon and olive oil.” Poor change of subject, he knew it the moment he tried. But Steve was tactful enough to go with it.

“No, I haven't yet.” There was a brief pause, where Steve eyed the nearby buffet. Something was on his mind, it was clear as daylight. He opened his mouth, Tony involuntarily held his breath, but the moment Steve looked back into his face his courage left him and he closed his mouth again. He tried again and Tony got the impression of a goldfish. A smiled slipped on his lips.

“Tony, would you-”

“Steve, wanna-”

They stared at each other for a second, mouths agape. Then they burst out laughing. Tony almost forgot the lingering pain in the back of his throat and relished the sound of Steve's delighted laughter. They were giggling like teenagers and it took them some moments to go back to the adults they were supposed to be.

“You go first Tony.”

“No, you first, sorry for interrupting.” Tony stifled another cough in his fist.

“Err, I wanted to ask… Sorry. Uh...” Steve raised a hand to scratch the back of neck. “I saw you standing over here and thought maybe you would be willing to teach me how to dance. That is, if it's not an inconvenience for you, I'm sure there are more than enough people here who would want to dance with you and I can't even dance, so...”

“Steve.”

“Yes, Tony?” Steve was a master at the kicked puppy look.

“You're rambling.”

“Sorry.”

“Come on, let's dance you big Labrador.” Tony offered Steve his arm and the soldier took it with a shy smile. Something bloomed inside Tony's chest at the sight, a warm and fuzzy feeling that enveloped his insides. They sauntered to the edge of the dance floor. From the corner of his eyes, Tony noticed Clint and Natasha a few meters behind them but his focus was on the blond man in front of him. “You put your right hand here” He put it on the small of his back, tingling shot up his spine. “I'll put my hand on your shoulder. And your left hand outstretched like that.” Steve's warm fingers curled gently around Tony's. Their pulses mingled and Tony felt his breath hitch again. “That's right. And now, follow my lead.” His voice came out as a rugged whisper.

Steve's stared intently at their feet and tried earnestly to get the hang of it. Tony felt the soft pressure on his back, felt the strong muscles of Steve's shoulder move beneath his hand and cherished the feeling of his hand being held by Steve. The music around them became a muffled background noise, the people a blurry mess as they swayed slowly along with the beat. Tony studied Steve's face in the soft glow. Golden shadows accentuated his sharp facial features, his full blond eyelashes fluttered like butterflies. Their bodies moved like they'd done nothing else in all their lives. Steve lifted his gaze to Tony's face. Tony looked up into those deep blue crystals and felt his world zero in. The seconds became longer and the moment seemed to stretch into infinity. Tony saw the movement of Steve's lips but was unable to hear the words. Suddenly the blooming feeling in his chest became piercing pain, heat flooded his lungs and his throat was burning like he was breathing liquid fire.

Tony's knees buckled under him, he grabbed onto Steve's jacket and fell ungraceful to the floor. On his hands and knees he coughed and pressed one hand to his mouth. He couldn't breathe, tasted the metallic tinge of blood on his tongue. Steve was there, he was talking to him, worry audible in his voice. Panic had arisen around them. Tony noted in the back of his mind that the live music had died down and various people were kneeling beside him. But the only thing that really mattered was Steve. His strong hand held tight but gently onto Tony's neck, trying to calm him down. Stars danced in front of his tightly closed eyes.

“Bruce! Bruce, please!” Steve was now calling for Bruce, then his gaze fell onto the bloodstains on the floor. “Oh god, Tony! Tony, your coughing blood! Someone get Bruce!” He put his other hand on Tony's shoulder.

“Steve!” That was Bruce. “Steve what's wrong? Oh no, Tony! Tony, can you hear me? Tony, breathe with me. In and out. In and out. Dr Bergner! Dr Bergner...”

Tony felt Bruce's gentle hands on him and another unfamiliar touch. He counted in his head and tried to calm himself, his impromptu coughing fit had eased down. The genius' breathing was still ragged and came in short intervals but at least he managed to get oxygen again. Blood dripped down from his lips when he removed his hand and shudders wrecked his body. Never before he'd felt so vulnerable, so exposed than on the floor of the SHIELD Christmas gala. People stared, he heard their whispering and tried to ignore them. Dr Bergner's hands were gentle, he peered into Tony's eyes, touched his throat and Tony groaned at the pain in his chest.

“Mr Stark, can you stand up? I have to take a proper look at you. Mr Stark?” A deep voice spoke to him. The man had a heavy accent. Maybe the German Bruce had been talking to earlier.

Tony carefully sat down and pulled out the already stained handkerchief to halfway clean his hand and lips. He noticed Natasha, Clint and Thor who shooed away the curious bystanders to grant Tony, Steve, Bruce and the foreign doctor some space and privacy. He closed his eyes again to focus on the pain in his throat and lungs. Suddenly he felt strong hands on his shoulders again. Tony opened his eyes and Steve was kneeling in front of him.

“Tony, can you stand up? Dr Bergner offered to examine you, he's a chest specialist from Germany. Bruce trusts him.” The soldier added soothingly at the wary expression in Tony's eyes.

Tony nodded. He was exhausted, his throat hurt like someone decided to roast marshmallows over a bonfire in there. With rattling breath he shifted around until he had his legs underneath him and grabbed Steve's proffered arm to prevent another graceless fall. He staggered when another wave of pain hit him and he pressed his hand to his throat. Steve's strong arm was around his waist and guided him to the now empty tables nearby. Some awkward shifting later he was sitting on a kind of uncomfortable chair and Dr Bergner's cool hands pressed medical equipment to his chest right around the arc reactor. The team stood around them and listened intently to the whispered medical talk between Bruce and Dr Bergner, Tony let it wash over him, he was so exhausted. Steve carefully swiped a thump over the dried blood in Tony's palm that laid open on the small table. The touch was reassuring. Suddenly Dr Bergner leaned forward and stared into Tony's eyes. He seemed to search for something in them.

“Dr Banner?” Bergner's eyes never left Tony's. “I have to ask you to grant me a minute with Mr Stark in private. I think this has to stay between us.”

Tony shot his science bro a look. He was too out of breath to argue with the two medics. Bruce was unsure and it took him a few seconds to comply. He guided the rest of the team a few meters away, Steve was the most reluctant to leave Tony's side. He shot them worried glances and bombarded Bruce with whispered questions. Tony focused back onto the doctor. He was weary, he noticed. And way older than Bruce. Bergner's white hair was short, he had thin rimmed glasses high on his nose and laughter lines around his dark, intelligent eyes. He held Tony's handkerchief between them in his calloused hands.

“Mr Stark” He started. “What I'm going to say will probably not be what you would like to hear. I was unsure what was wrong with you, of course I suspected an adverse reaction from the reactor in your chest at first, but then I saw this.” He unfolded the crumpled piece of fabric between them. Tony's eyes followed his slow movements. Blood was visible and amidst the stains was a tiny dark pink shred. “Mr Stark, I'm old. I've seen rare and strange illnesses in my life but this is probably one of the rarest and strangest.”

“What is this?” Tony rasped out. He let his pointer wander carefully over the pink shred. It was tiny. A deep uneasiness settled in his gut.

“This is a petal. A shredded rose petal.” Dr Bergner studied his expressions carefully as if he was weighing his words. “You have Hanahaki.”

“Hanahaki? What's that, I've never heard of it.” The genius retreated his hand from the bloody cloth and rubbed his hand instead over his chest, where the casing of the arc reactor met flesh.

“It's an illness. A poetic and cruel one. Nowadays it's gotten so rare, that modern medics don't even know about it. It's become a fairytale to most. You are deeply in love with someone unbeknownst to them, am I right?” He didn't wait for a response, the panic that flashed through Tony's eyes was probably enough of an answer. “Roses are growing in your lungs and in your throat. Its roots are probably in all of your internal organs. Beautiful pink roses, proof of true but unrequited love. Dr Banner told me you suffer from pain in your chest for more than two months now. I'd say you have about a week left.”

“A week left?” Tony repeated hoarsly. The panic he felt intensified the pain.

“Yes. In one week the roses will probably be big enough, that their thorns will rip your lungs apart. You will die.” The doctor folded the handkerchief up and put it on the table next to them. Sadness settled in his eyes. “I suspect the reactor prevented the petals from being coughed up earlier, otherwise it would have been easier to make a diagnosis.”

Tony felt numb. He watched the old man in front of him. The words he said were like icicles piercing his heart. He was waiting for a laughter, a wink, something, anything to tell him that this was not true. But nothing happened. “Is there a cure?” He heard himself say. His tongue was like a deadweight, the words took an enormous amount of strength to form.

Bergner took a deep breath. He averted his eyes like he was reluctant to tell him.

“Please, I need to know.” Tony urged him. He heard his voice break slightly.

“There is a cure.” The specialist came around. “But you won't like it. The ideal solution would be to tell the person about your feelings and pray to god that they return them. Then the roses will vanish all by themselves and you won't have to say goodbye to the world of the living. If they don't return your love, you will die in a few days. The other option” He continued. Tony had gone still. “is to remove the flowers by surgery. It will hurt while your chest heals from the deep intrusion. But with the flowers so will your feelings for that special person leave your body. You will forget about them entirely.”

If Tony's heart felt like an icicle before, he felt it breaking now. Forget about Steve? Forget about the best thing in his life? Forget about the smiles, the hugs, the warm presence, the happy atmosphere that always accompanied Steve? It was like asking him to forget about his entire life. Tony wasn't keen on dying either, but he'd prefer to end his life with Steve in his heart instead of leading a life with an emotional hole in his chest and not knowing what he was missing. His thoughts were running wild, the panic he had felt just mere moments ago shifted painfully and became numb acceptance. Dr Bergner was still watching him closely. Tony forced a blank expression on his face. He felt a treacherous wetness in the corner of his eyes and started with shaking fingers to button up his dress shirt. It took him some heartbeats to find his voice again.

“Thank you, Dr Bergner. I'm grateful for clearing this up. Now I at least know what I'll have Pepper write on my tombstone in a week.” He finished buttoning up his shirt and took the bloody handkerchief back.

“Mr Stark.” Dr Bergner whispered. His eyes were sad and his voice was gentle. “Don't throw your life away like that. Are you willing to die for that person? Are they really worth it?”

“I lost my life in a cave in the Middle East years ago. I was only given a second chance because someone else gave his life for me. Fate doesn't give you a third chance.” His eyes found Steve, who was standing next to Natasha and Bruce. Love and pain were battling in the billionaire's chest. “And he's worth everything.”

.oOo.

The days after the gala went by in a blur. Tony had JARVIS secretly update his testament and arranged the ownership for the tower and the tech, so that the team members would keep their home once Tony was gone. It was Christmas Eve when he finally made his way upstairs from his workshop to the communal living room. Natasha and Thor had done a great job in decorating the room. Tinsel, fir branches and an enormous Christmas tree with an insane amount of fairy lights. A small mountain of neatly packed presents was beneath the tree. Tony added his own presents for the team and then walked over to the couch to sit down and marvel at the quiet beauty of the scenery. The lights from the tree cast dark shadows in the blackness of the night. Tony snatched a cookie from the tray on the table in front of him. It would be his last Christmas. And nobody knew it. He didn't have the heart to tell them, to tell Steve. Absentmindedly he rubbed his hand over his chest, the now constant pain was a silent reminder what was about to happen. Tony let his mind wander and didn't notice the door opening until he wasn't alone in the room anymore.

“Tony?” Steve was standing next to the couch, arms full with presents. “Hey, what are you doing here, it's really late already.”

“Oh, hi Steve.” Tony answered. He swallowed thickly against the urge to cough. “I could say the same but I can see we had the same train of thought. I brought the presents up and now I'm enjoying one of these delicious cookies. I don't think I want to know how many calories the have.” He observed the cookie from every angle to undermine his statement.

“No, you don't want to know. Trust me on this one, I'm the one who made them.” Steve's eyes smiled and twinkled in the warm light. He bent down to deposit his armful of colorful packages next to the rest. “How's your chest? Does is still hurt? I haven't seen you around a lot after the gala.” Steve came back over to him and snatched a cookie as well. They were sitting side by side on the couch, their knees were touching and Tony secretly clenched his fist to suppress the pain.

“I think I've been better before. Dr Bergner told me to take it easy.” It hurt. Lying to Steve like that hurt badly. Tony took another bite of the cookie and focused on the sugar on his tongue.

Steve picked at the frosting on the cookie, he bit his lip as if he wanted to say something to Tony and was still searching for the right words. He opened his mouth and Tony's gaze was instantly on his pink lips. Steve took a deep breath, closed his mouth again just to repeat the whole process again. Tony smirked. It was adorable.

“Steve, what's wrong? You're doing a perfect impersonation of a goldfish. It's cute but probably not what you were aiming for, am I right?” Tony's quiet laugh made the corners of Steve's closed mouth twitch into a smile.

“No, I don't want to be a goldfish.” He admitted. His eyes were everywhere but at Tony. “The night of the gala. When we were dancing...” He started. Tony listened attentively. It was a beautiful memory. “I wanted to ask you something, before you broke down.”

Tony thought back. The gala, the dance, Steve's warm body beneath his hands, their movements in perfect harmony, he saw Steve's face before his inner eye, a heartbeat before he had doubled over. Steve's mouth had formed words, but twisted in pain Tony wasn't able to hear what Steve had wanted to tell him.

“Yeah, I remember. It's fuzzy though, I wasn't able to concentrate on anything in particular. Sorry about that.” He added quietly. Guilt was pooling in his stomach. “Wanna try again?”

Steve smiled at the offer. “I'm not sure I have the courage to try again.” He mumbled into his cookie. “Promise me not to laugh?” A hopeful glint in his eyes was all it took for Tony to promise him the world, if Steve would have asked.

“You know me, no promises, Cap. But I'll try my best.” Tony offered with a lazy shrug. Steve's knee next to his own was warm and the kind of comfort that Tony craved.

Steve rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He as well was focused on their knees, where they were touching. He swallowed the rest of his cookie and shifted in his spot next to the genius so that he was facing him and their calves were now pressed together. Tony gripped the side of his pants hard. Pain was boiling in his chest and every breath he took was like blades, slicing open his throat. If he didn't know it better, he'd say the remaining shrapnel in his chest were ripping his heart apart.

“Tony.” Finally Steve found his voice. His crystal blue eyes were piercing, a single blonde strand fell onto his forehead. He wore a horrible Christmas sweater, Tony noted in the back of his mind. On every other person it would look hilarious, but Steve wore it like an Armani suit. But his broad shoulders were hunched and he looked younger and more vulnerable than Tony had ever seen him. “Tony, would you maybe… Would you do me the favor and go on a date with me next week? Like a real date? I wanted to ask you out at the gala for today, but this didn't work out as planned.”

“Why?” Tony's voice was raw and hoarse and the word came out as a breathless whisper. Time seemed to have stopped and Tony was caught in a bubble of pain, desperation and hope.

The blond lifted his hand to Tony's face and carefully touched his cheek with the back of his fingers. The gentle touch felt like a dancing butterfly on his skin. Now it was Steve's turn to sound raw and hoarse. “Because I'm in love with you.”

Tony's whole world turned upside down and his body was screaming in pain. He doubled over and clutched at his throat. He was coughing up blood again. Suddenly he lost his balance and found himself at the floor in front of the couch. Steve was there, Steve was rubbing his back and gently spoke soothing words to him. Tony panicked, he felt like he couldn't get enough air into his abused lungs, his vision became blurry and he felt like dying. With one hand he held tightly onto Steve's sweater, so that his knuckles became white. His inside were bleeding, the metallic taste of blood was everywhere, tinting his senses. Suddenly there was something else as well. It was foreign, soft yet rough. And with a last wheezing cough, something fell from his open mouth into the small puddle of blood. It took Tony a few moments to regain his composure. He took a deep breath. Because all of a sudden, he could. He was breathing. Air filled his lungs, cool and painless and the feeling returned to his tingling limbs. His vision cleared and he heard Steve calling his name. Tony followed his own arm with his eyes and noticed he still had Steve's sweater in a death grip. Concern was clear as daylight in Steve's face as he knelt next to him. Tony straightened his stance and Steve's strong hands gently cupped his face. For a few heartbeats they only stared into each others eyes and watched closely.

“Tony?” Steve broke the silence first. He still sounded worried and his brows were furrowed. “Are you alright? Tony, please answer me!”

Tony didn't answer. He looked down onto the floor. Between them were red stains on the smooth surface of the floor and amidst laid a single rose, small and dark pink, a short, wry stem and sharp looking thorns. Three single petals laid next to it. They were bloodstained. The brunet picked the rose up and held it between them. He let his gaze linger for a moment before he looked back up at Steve and then he smiled. And Steve smiled back at him, the worry in his face faded and he brushed over Tony's bottom lip with his thumb to wipe away the last trace of blood.

“Yeah” Tony rasped out. His throat was still a bit sore. “I will go on that date with you. But, please kiss me first. And say it again, I need to hear you say it.”

When Tony felt the soft press of Steve's lips on his own, he knew the weeks filled with pain were worth it. It was gentle and sensual, the most innocent kiss of Tony's life, filled to the brim with promises. Steve tasted like sugar and sunshine and Tony's breath was stolen in the best possible way.

“I love you.” Steve whispered against Tony's lips when they broke the kiss after what felt like an eternity. His warm breath ghosted over the smaller man's skin and sent shivers down his spine.

Tony felt a strand of Steve's blond hair on his forehead and fingertips on his cheeks and neck. His heart was hammering in his chest behind the arc reactor. Happiness made him light-headed. In the background Tony caught a glimpse of the clock on the wall through half lidded eyes and smiled. “I love you too. Merry Christmas, darling.” He murmured against Steve's bottom lip

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” Steve responded smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> care to share your thoughts? i hope you liked it, i was so unsure with the Hanahaki subject...  
(also thinking about writing an A/B/O story?)
> 
> Just got myself a Twitter Account. Come and yell at me if you want, I'm always up for some chitchat. ♡  
https://twitter.com/Perlmutt_Pearl?s=09


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